Diageo to challenge ruling its ad appeals to kids

Diageo is to challenge a decision by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which ruled an advert for its Parrot Bay frozen cocktails was likely to “strongly appeal” to children.

The ASA upheld a complaint that an advert for Parrot Bay frozen cocktails would “strongly appeal” to children

The drinks firm was ordered not to broadcast the advert again in its current form and ensure all future marketing communications did not have a strong appeal to children, but will appeal the decision.

The news coincides with the announcement of a new international organisation, the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD) for which Diageo is a provisional board member, which will work to tackle alcohol misuse, including reducing underage drinking.

“We are disappointed with the ASA Council’s adjudication and will be appealing against the decision,” said Diageo Western Europe’s consumer marketing and innovation director Ed Pilkington.

“We will be liaising with the ASA and will await the decision of the independent review process.”

The Parrot Bay TV ad was screened at 6pm on Film4 during the film King Solomon’s mines and featured a colourful animated parrot in a tropical setting, who was shown being frozen and squawking.

A voice-over during the ad said: “Take the best of the Caribbean. Freeze it then crush it up and squeeze it out. Parrot Bar freeze and squeeze cocktails. Now available in passion fruit and Caipirinha flavour.”

Meanwhile, on-screen text read: “Freeze a parrot today…contains alcohol.”

However, one viewer challenged whether the ad was irresponsible and would appeal strongly to children thus breaching advertising codes.

The ASA upheld the complaint, deeming the animated colourful parrot and its behaviour, combined with the “slapstick humour” of the parrot being frozen, moving its eyes in a comical fashion and falling off the bar, was “likely to strongly appeal to children.

In response, Diageo defended the ad and said it was “aimed at an adult audience”, which was highlighted by the adult crowd in the background.

Furthermore, the company explained it had commissioned a market research organisation to carry out consumer research on the product, which returned that 82% did not find the ad to be childish while viewing data showed 95% of the audience was aged over 18.